Fake charity wristband warning
Howard Lake | 30 March 2005 | News
The Charity Commission has warned the public that conmen are selling fake charity wristbands online.
Wristbands supporting causes such as anti-bullying, anti-racism and the recently launched Make Poverty History campaign have become very popular. As a result, conmen have lept on the (wrist)bandwagon and are selling fake charity wristbands.
Head of Communications at the Charity Commission, Antony Robbins, said: “We must remember that these wristbands represent important issues. It’s great that they are becoming so popular, but if they solely become fashion items there is a risk that the causes being promoted could lose credibility… We would advise anyone wanting to buy a wristband to make sure they are giving their money to a genuine charity. “
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Chief Executive of Institute of Fundraising, Lindsay Boswell, added: “Wristbands sold independently of the charity are less likely to be reputable and we would encourage anyone wanting to buy one to contact the charity directly or to visit their website.”
The Commission advises anyone wanting to buy a wristband to avoid paying for the bands via auction sites and other non-charitable web pages. If anyone has any concerns about bogus fundraisers, they can contact their local police station or trading standards bureau.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.